How do I decrease the ammount of white showing at the end?

[Ocean]

These are my 1st two multy colored playsilks.  How do I dye them or fold or something to get more dye on and not so much white showing?  How do I make them come out better?  Before I unfolded them they looked fully colored.

Please excuse my messy basement.




Help!:)

[steve]

First off, make sure you put the nozzle into those folds and give the bottle a good squeeze. I often let the dye soak in then reapply the dye as well. Too wet a fabric can act as a resist, so make sure that it is not real wet.

[tiedyejudy]

These are my 1st two multy colored playsilks.  How do I dye them or fold or something to get more dye on and not so much white showing?  How do I make them come out better?  Before I unfolded them they looked fully colored.

Did you presoak the silks in vinegar or soda ash first?  Were they damp or dry when you applied the dye?  What kind of silk were they?  Chiffon?  Habotai?  I have had trouble in the past getting Habotai to take color.  I switched to Chiffon and got better results.  I also nuke my silks, but don't know if that would make any difference in your case.  

Judy

[Kathy]

 I have had trouble in the past getting Habotai to take color.

 

Huh? I wonder why? It would be interesting to investigate. I almost exclusively use habotai and get great results

I also nuke my silks, but don't know if that would make any difference in your case.  

It would if they were not nuked long enough, just as not letting them batch above room temp. for a long enough time would effect the outcome.

I see two things in the picture. First, as Steve mentioned, get the nozzle down into folds more and perhaps you are binding too tight. Second, the colors looked kind of washed/pale. If this was not your intent(pastels) then your silk was probably to wet with soda solution thus diluting the dyes or you didn't let your things batch/cure long enough above room temp.

If your things are pretty damp/wet from the soda or vinegar soak either let them sit and dry out some or all the way. If you are impatient like me put them in the washer on the spin cycle. Arrange them along the sidewalls, this helps to prevent any possible deformation of the foldsd and binding you may have done

Kathy

[Ocean]

Hmmm.  It was pretty wet still because I have no patience!  And it was tied pretty tight.  How loose should it be tied?  I need to try again!

[Kathy]

Hmmm.  It was pretty wet still because I have no patience!  And it was tied pretty tight.  How loose should it be tied?  I need to try again!

The wetness is probably the bigest factor that is causing the lightness and whiteness, but how tight you are binding can also effect the outcome tremendously.  

You don't need to tie your ties "loose" per se but maybe slightly looser than you are. You want the bindings to hold your folds in place so they keep their shape etc but no need to strangle the silk

Definately let your silks sit to dry or place them on the spin cycle. They don't need to be dry(it will depend on your preference, experiment) but get out as much excess moisture as you can.

Kathy

[dancingbearmama]

I have been drying my silks out completely after soda soak, so they are bone dry, and it seems as if they take the dye much more evenly and I get darker colors.

peace,
nicole